Each year, we hit the ground running at the good ol’ Orange County Convention Center with one goal in mind: find the coolest (or, sometimes, wackiest) stuff and tell you all about it.
Our annual “Best of Show” awards are a great way to showcase some of the products we’re really excited about as we head into golf season.
Let’s get started.
adidas ULT365 shorts
Why it deserves a Best in Show award: adidas invented a fabric technology that replaces that annoying silicone on your waistband. It’s grippy, yet soft, to hold your shirt in place without the tack of silicone. Who knew that golf shorts had more room to improve?
Alma Mater Beta Lite
Why it deserves a Best in Show award: A more “lifestyle” look than their debut Beta shoe but with the same technical innovation. The Beta has all the bells and whistles and you get the same thing with just a bit more casual look.
Birdilens AR glasses
Why it deserves a Best in Show award: Tech is developing but augmented reality GPS glasses are coming. This is the first of what will be many. Groundbreaking should always be recognized
Blue Tees Rainmaker
Why it deserves a Best in Show award: More robust than the Shot Scope LMI and it ties into everything else Blue Tees is offering. The system itself is pretty solid. Everything ties together through the GAME app. Even though there’s a subscription, it’s very much worth it.
Caddy Splash Divot Tee
Why it deserves a Best in Show award: Nothing revolutionary: just a tee with a handle to make fixing ball marks on the green the right way to protect the roots. The most inexpensive item on this list.
CHIP’d
Why it deserves a Best in Show award: Interesting technology to help with putting practice/training. Once we get it to HQ, we can see if the hype is worthwhile.
COBRA 3DP MB/X irons
Why it deserves a Best in Show award: Incredible forgiveness with the muscle-back. Stupid playable and great feeling
Course Record
Why it deserves a Best in Show award: Functional hydration. Finally, something with low sugar content, a decent amount of caffeine and a bunch of other goodies. Could very well become the next “it” thing in the non-alcoholic beverage space.
Field Day Sporting Company
Why it deserves a Best in Show award: Classic and elevated feel with modern innovation and craftsmanship. Attention to every detail. Currently in about 200 of some of the top golf clubs and growing. The antithesis of the disposable apparel approach. You’re gonna buy these pieces and have them forever.
GHOST Golf Masters Bag
Why it deserves a Best in Show award: Masters releases can sometimes feel overdone or out of reach (especially when it comes to price). Ghost is dropping one of the most well-done bags for golf’s “season opener” I’ve seen in years. It’s “old money meets new materials.” Colors are balanced. Little Easter eggs paying respect to the hallowed grounds, Georgia peaches and, who could forget?, azaleas.
GolfJoy Spica 3
Why it deserves a Best in Show award: Three cameras and 99 percent of the accuracy of a Foresight GC Quad … for $3,200? The market is ready for a major shift and someone is going to sell a boatload of launch monitors if they can figure out the sub-$5K personal launch monitor space.
Khalhon
Why it deserves a Best in Show award: Streetwear in golf has become a dime a dozen. Khalhon from South Korea takes the “quality” conversation to a new level. Collabs come across our desk daily but this one offers attention to detail, materials that move with your swing and look sick doing it. That’s hard to find. Collabs with PAYNTR are in the pipeline. Intentional women’s wear and stitching that would have you believe the price tag was much higher.
Logan wedges/Octogrip
Why it deserves a Best in Show award: Small company from Scotland offers a great-looking wedge with some versatility and the grips prevent you from holding the club too tightly.
Motocaddy M7 GPS
Why it deserves a Best in Show award: Arguably the most-awarded electric cart in our Most Wanted testing history, the flagship M7 GPS gets a refresh, upgraded GPS screen, new chassis and a bunch of other improvements …. and the really good news, folks? Zero price increase.
PAYNTR Reserve Classic Tour RS
Why it deserves a Best in Show award: Min Woo Lee joined the PAYNTR Golf staff with a bang. His new signature shoe brings a more classic, elevated look to PAYNTR’s amazing performance platform. And they’re only $180
Runner Golf
Why it deserves a Best in Show award: Impressive amount of customization and adjustability in their putters and the fitting process was really informative and compelling. The putters also feel great.
Sierra Madre
Why it deserves a Best in Show award: I’ve played golf for nearly 20 years and have failed time after time to find even a couple of pieces of women’s apparel made specifically for the game that didn’t just barely meet the mark. Not only is Sierra Madre owned by women but its pieces are designed by women. This makes a huge difference. Crop tops aren’t too short, skorts have pockets that matter but don’t bulk the hips, and colors are bright but not childish. Materials transition from season to season. Well done.
TITE eyewear
Why it deserves a Best in Show award: TITE is everything I want in sunglasses: lens technology to enhance green colors, adjustable ear stocks for a perfect fit, and a strip of silicone on top to prevent them from slipping off your hat.
VG103 Vice forged irons
Why it deserves a Best in Show award: Insanely clean look for a company that otherwise boasts loud colors and custom work. Dare I say these compete with the first blades I ever saw? You tell me.
VICE Moon Rock golf balls
Why it deserves a Best in Show award: No joke. I had people stop me at the show just to get a peek at these. With just 1,000 dozen made, the Moon Rock golf balls are unlike any “custom design” we’ve ever seen. Impossible to find? Maybe. Looks sick on your shelf, though!
Vortex rangefinders
Why it deserves a Best in Show award: Successful hunting scope technology in a rangefinder? Sign me up. Crazy lifetime warranty, stabilization if you have shaky hands, and solid price point.
Merge CSV
4 months ago
I really can’t see Course Record doing well with those prices. I was actually interested in trying them until I checked the price.